Charging handle attachment for firearm slide

ABSTRACT

A firearm slide accessory includes a charging handle attachment that includes a base member and a pulling member that extends from the base member. The pulling member includes a pair of side members that extend from the base member and which join to form a cross member parallel to the base member. The side members and the cross member define an opening through which sights of a firearm are viewable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to weapons and weapon accessories, and particularly to a charging handle attachment that can be used to better grip and pull the slide of a firearm to charge the firearm.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional semi-automatic handguns generally make use of a slide assembly to load, cycle and fire individual rounds. When loading an initial round into a chamber, a user must generally pull or slide the slide assembly to a rearward position, whereby a topmost round is stripped from a magazine and fed into the chamber. The force required to direct the slide assembly to the rearward position can be more than a user expects and in some cases, create difficulty for smaller or older individuals to operate. Manufacturers have addressed this by creating ribs, channels and/or similar features on the sides of the slide assembly to provide a gripping area by which the user can more easily retain and apply force to the slide assembly. However, these gripping areas are often times insufficient for certain users.

U.S. patent Ser. No. 10/782,081 to Porat and assigned to Recover Innovations Ltd., describes a charging handle member that includes an upper member and a lower member. Both upper and lower members are formed with internal serrations that mate with external serrations of the slide. Fasteners secure the upper and lower members together.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to provide a charging handle attachment that can be used to better grip and pull the slide of a firearm to charge the firearm, as is described more in detail hereinbelow. The terms firearm and weapon and used interchangeably throughout. The charging handle attachment has different structure than that of U.S. patent Ser. No. 10/782,081.

There is provided in accordance with an embodiment of the invention a firearm slide accessory including a charging handle attachment including a base member and a pulling member that extends from the base member, wherein the pulling member includes a pair of side members that extend from the base member and which join to form a cross member parallel to the base member, the side members and the cross member defining an opening through which sights of a firearm are viewable.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention each of the side members includes a lower portion tilted with respect to the base member and an upper portion tilted with respect to the lower portion and to the cross member.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention the lower portion is thicker and wider than the upper portion.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention the side members are slanted from a rear end of the base member towards a front end of the base member, such that the cross member is offset from the rear end of the base member by a distance.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention the base member is formed with one or more mounting holes.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention an underside of the base member is formed with a key groove.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention a portion of the base member is formed with serrations.

There is provided in accordance with an embodiment of the invention a firearm including a slide, a barrel with an opening from which a projectile can be expelled, a frame, a trigger, a handle, forward and rear sights, and a magazine well for inserting therein a magazine, a rear portion of the slide being formed with a cutout forward of the rear sight, and a charging handle attachment including a base member and a pulling member that extends from the base member, wherein the pulling member includes a pair of side members that extend from the base member and which join to form a cross member parallel to the base member, the side members and the cross member defining an opening through which the forward and rear sights of the firearm are viewable, and wherein the base member is fastened to the cutout.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention an underside of the base member is formed with a key groove that mates with a tenon formed on the cutout.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention a portion of the base member is formed with serrations that match external serrations of the slide.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are simplified side-view, end-view, top-view and pictorial illustrations, respectively, of a charging handle attachment, in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are simplified pictorial illustrations, respectively, before and after attachment of the charging handle attachment to the slide of the weapon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1-4, which illustrate a charging handle attachment 10 for use with a firearm 12 (FIGS. 5 and 6), constructed and operative in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

As seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, firearm 12 has a slide 14, barrel 16, frame 18, trigger 20, handle or grip 22, and a magazine well 24 for inserting therein a magazine 26. Slide 14 must be pulled back for initially charging the firearm. A rear portion of slide 14 may be manufactured with external serrations 28. Slide 14 has rear and forward sights 30 and 32.

Referring again to FIGS. 1-4, the charging handle member 10 may include a base member 34, which may be formed with one or more mounting holes 36 and with a key groove 38 formed on an underside of base member 34. Base member 34 may be formed with serrations 40 that match the serrations 28 of the firearm 12.

A pulling member 42 may extend from base member 34 (i.e., extend upwards in the sense of the firearm 12). The pulling member 42 may include a pair of side members 44 that extend from base member 34 and which join to form a cross member 46 parallel to base member 34. Each side member 44 may include a lower portion 44L tilted with respect to base member 34 and an upper portion 44U tilted with respect to lower portion 44L and to cross member 46. The lower portion 44L may be thicker and wider than the upper portion 44U. The side members 44 may be slanted from a rear end 47 of base member 34 towards a front end 49 of base member 34, such that cross member 46 is offset from the rear end 47 of base member 34 by a distance D, as seen in FIG. 1.

The side members 44 and cross member 46 define an opening 48 (FIG. 2) through which the shooter can see forward sight 32 to align it with rear sight 30.

As seen in FIG. 5, slide 14 may be formed with a cutout 50 and tapped mounting holes 52 so that threaded fasteners 54 can be used to secure charging handle attachment 10 to slide 14. A tenon 56 may be formed on (e.g., along the length of) cutout 50, which mates with key groove 38 formed on the underside of base member 34 for proper alignment and attachment of charging handle attachment 10 to slide 14 so that it will not budge during years of use.

Alternatively, fasteners 54 may be other kinds of fasteners, such as but not limited to, screws with nuts, pins or rivets and others).

The charging handle attachment 10 may be made of any suitable material, such as but not limited to, polymer, aluminum alloy, steel alloy, elastomer and the like. 

1-7. (canceled)
 8. A firearm comprising: a slide, a barrel with an opening from which a projectile can be expelled, a frame, a trigger, a handle, forward and rear sights, and a magazine well for inserting therein a magazine, a rear portion of said slide being formed with a cutout forward of said rear sight; and a charging handle attachment comprising a base member and a pulling member that extends from said base member, wherein said pulling member comprises a pair of side members that extend from said base member and which join to form a cross member parallel to said base member, said side members and said cross member defining an opening through which said forward and rear sights of the firearm are viewable; and wherein said base member is fastened to said cutout.
 9. The firearm according to claim 8, wherein an underside of said base member is formed with a key groove that mates with a tenon formed on said cutout.
 10. The firearm according to claim 8, wherein a portion of said base member is formed with serrations that match external serrations of said slide. 